1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fishing tackle, and in particular to a single action fly fishing reel.
2. Description Relative to the Prior Art
Fly fishing is one of the most popular and growing participant sports in the United States. It is estimated that in 1986 there were one million fly fishers, and in 1992 the number had risen to three million. Along with this explosive growth, there has been a proliferation of fly fishing tackle in rods, reels, lines and flies.
The fly reel is one of the most important tackle components. Fly reels are designated either as single action reels where one rotation of the reel handle results in one rotation of the reel spool, or as multiple action reels where the ratio between spool and handle rotation is greater than 1. The single action reel is the more common, and it's use is generally specified in fly fishing competitions.
The reel serves several functions. It is a storage medium for the fishing line, it provides drag as line is stripped from the reel's spool, and it allows the fisherman to control the action in retrieving a hooked fish. In accomplishing these last two functions, drag is an essential reel feature. During stripping out of line (either by the fisherman or the fish), the rotating spool gathers momentum, and when the stripping is arrested the spool must be immediately braked to keep the inertia of the spool from throwing a loop of line. The drag provides this braking action.
The drag is also used to cause resistance to the removal of line by the fish so as to quickly tire the fish or to prevent the fish from making very long runs in its effort to escape. When used in this manner it is desirable to have an adjustment on the amount of drag torque and to have a drag which is smooth in its action. In the simplest reels the same amount of drag is provided for both directions of the reel rotation, and in more sophisticated reels the amount of drag is greater for the spool rotation direction when line is being stripped from the reel than it is for the spool rotation direction when the fisherman is reeling in the fish.
Drag systems are typically of two general types. One type uses a pawl which engages gear like teeth attached to the rotating spool. These systems do not provide smooth torque resistance to spool rotation and in many embodiments are difficult to adjust. A second common type uses the friction of a disc or pad against the rotating spool or a member which rotates with the spool. These disc drag systems often incorporate type of coupling which allows the drag to be operational only when the line is being removed from the spool. In disc drag systems any water or oil which may get on the pad surface during the operation can seriously alter the drag setting altering the torque or causing uneven operation.
Fishing conditions widely vary, and the fisherman wants the option of changing the line used depending on the specific fishing situation. Many reels include the provision of quick change spools allowing the immediate changeover of line in the field. These spools may contain mechanical elements involved in the drag mechanism, so that maintaining a selection of spools storing different types and weights of lines may involve duplication of these mechanical elements for each spool, entailing additional costs.